Improvement in draw-bridge gates



UNI ED STATES LOUIS SIMON, OFGHIGAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN DRAW-BRIDGE GATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 173,508, dhted February 15, 1876; application filed I October 8, 1875. I

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, LoUIs SIMON, of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Gates for Draw and Swing Bridges, Ferry Boat Landings, 850.; and I do hereby declare that the followin g is a full, clear, and exact description there of, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters -.of reference marked thereon, whichform a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to furnish swing and draw bridges, ferry boats, and their landing places, &c., with a sure, safe, and speedy means for opening and closing the approaches to and exits from the same, 'by gates to be operated by the bridge, draw, or boat.

In the drawing like letters of reference designate similar parts of my invention, and

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the. same-with the draw open, and the floor of the versed so as to. show the under side. Fig. 4. is a plan view of a modifiedform of my iuvention showing the machinery, the chief peculiarity of which consists in the fact that. the gates are self-closing.-

A, Fig. 1, represents the stationary part or approach to the draw of a bridge; B B, the gates for closing the foot and road way, occupyin g the position when the bridge is open as shown in the drawing. These gates are firmly fixed upon the standards B B, and may be constructed of any suitable material, and after any appropriate design. The standards B B are placed upon opposite sides of the roadway facing each other, their lower ends projecting down through the flooring, and resting in sockets B B in the foundation or bed-pieces of the bridge, or upon a foundation expressly the machinery is operated.

constructed for the machinery to rest'u pon.

The shoulders B B serve to keep the standards B B steady in their places, and enable them to support the gates without swaggiug.

They may be supplied with rollers to. bear upon a metaliplate fastened to the flooring, or with any. other proper means for reducing'the amount of friction, so that the gates may turn more easily upon their pivotal centers. Additional stability -may be given to the gates by upright posts on each side of the bridge, with a cross'piece overhead uniting them, in which are sockets to receive the upper ends of the standardsB B The lower ends of the standards B B are supplied with arms, B B projecting at right angles from the same. The levers (J (J are pivoted to the bed or foundation upon which the machinery rests at C U, (see Fig. 2,) and their longer arms are connected with the arms B Byof the standards B B by the'links B B The'short arms of the levers O G are provided with .pins 0 0 working in slots or channels d d of the arms 'D D ofthelever D. Dis the principal lever, .by means of which I It is supplied with the slotted arms D D and theslide D working in the slot D4.

The object .of this latter device isto release the locking attachment holding the gates inplace. when closed, until the closing of the bridge or draw, or arrival. of the boat at the wharfor pier..

The outer end of the Slide Di is supplied with a roller, D to reduce the friction as the drawimpiuges against the lever D in swinging around, thus enabling the machinery to operate more easily. The lever .D works in the slides or ways E E, in whichit is held by the buttons 0 e, or other equivalent device. F F are levers, bent as shown in the drawing,

and pivoted at their elbows or angles F F to cipal object of which is to furnish a bed for the locking attachment H. This locking at- .tachment consists of a pawl, H pivoted at or near its center to the periphery of the plate G; -or, it the plate be not circular, or is dispensed with, as it may be, then at. any proper point so as to allow the stud H on the end of the pawl to engage with the notch or shoulder E of the guide or way E. The outerend of the pawl H is supplied with a projection or any suitable device against which the slide D impinges, as it is pressed inward by the end of the draw, thus releasing the stud H from the notch E before the 10st motion can be recovered and the gates opened. The post or standard I, passing through the plate G, and which holds it in place, is supplied with a spring, K, one arm of which rests in a groove in the outer end ofthe pawl H while the other is held in place by the post I and the studs I I. L L are studs or blocks intended to stop the farther progress of the levers G 0, when the gates are fully opened or closed, as the case may be.

The locking attachment H may be easily adapted to any of the modified forms of my invention by a slight mechanical change in the construction, which it is unnecessary to, explain.

The ends of the draw, &c., where they come in contact with the lever D, may be protected from wear by a metal plate, M of the necessary width to receive the face of the rollers D The mode of operation of this form of my invention is as follows: For instance, if it be a swing-bridge, and the gates are shut as the bridge, which is open, revolves in closing, the endimpinges agaiut the lever D, and, pushing it back, causes the slide D to release the locking-attachment H, after which, the lost motion being taken up, the pressure against the lever causes the gates to open at the same time, bringing the outer arms of the levers F F against the sides of the draw. As thedraw is revolved in either direction, for the purpose of opening it, it presses one of the levers F outwardly, thus closing the gates as the bridge swings around. Fig. 4 is a modified form of my. invention, more especially adapted to bridges operating with a draw or slide, and to ferry-boats, &c. The standards B B the arms 15* B, the links B B and the levers (J G, are constructed and arranged to operate substantially as shown and described in Fig. 1. The principal lever D, however, is somewhat differently constructed, the arms D D being slightly bent and slotted to receive the studs or pins 0 C of the levers C C, which are pivoted at their inner ends at c 0, instead of near their centers as in Fig. 1. The

lever D works in the way E and upon the studs E E, passing up through the slots B D, and may be kept from lifting up by any proper device. The levers O 0 work in the ways "or guides 0 G which also act as stops instead of the studs L L, Fig. 1. M represents a spring bearing against the stud M on the lever D, .by means of which the gates are closed as soon as the pressure against the outer end of the lever is removed. This spring may be made as shown in the drawing,

or it may be of the form' of an ordinary carspring, placed at the head of the lever D at N. The gates B B may be constructed as shown in Fig. 4, or as in Fig. 1, as may seem most desirable.

The mode of operation of this form of my invention is as follows: Supposing it to be placed upon a bridge, as the draw is closed it presses back the lever D to open the gates, and as soon as the pressure is removed the gates are closed by the spring M. If placed upon a ferry-boat or its landing-place, the mode of operation is the same, and too obvious torequire explanation.

- It may be easily seen that my invention, by some slight modifications of the principal lever D, may be adapted for use upon farms, road-ways, 85c.

Iam aware that self opening and closing gates, as they are termed, have hcen.before used, and therefore do not claim this feature of my invention as new; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a draw or swing bridge or ferryguard, the combination, with the gates B B 1 and the standards B B of the leversD, O, and F, the links B and the locking attachment H, when constructed and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 2. The combination, with the gates B B, of the standards B B, the levers D G F, and the links B E the spring M, when constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes described.

' In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. LOUIS SIMON. Witnesses: JNO. S. SLATER. E. M. FINGE- 

